Drumroll please! We all heard a fair bit of uncharacteristic anger echoing out of Canada with Rogers Wireless' announcement of its -- and FIDO's -- iPhone data pricing models. Of course, Rogers rethought its plans, launched the
$30 / 6GB plan and all was well again in the land of the polar bear and beaver. We had a quick chat with Elizabeth Hamilton, the Director of Corporate Communications at Rogers, this week, and it turns out they may not have been so completely mistaken with the plans offered after all. First month stats show that 1.2% of iPhone customers used more than 1GB of data in the first four weeks, 95% used less than 500MB, and 91.2% used less than 100MB. Considering the original plans were as high as
400MB per month, it would seem they would have served the northern populace quite handily.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
torqueo @ Sep 1st 2008 6:16PM
I'm just amazed someone was able to pull 1GB off Rogers' awful network in only four weeks.
mansa @ Sep 1st 2008 7:05PM
Source?
Roger Alford @ Sep 1st 2008 7:12PM
Sounds like the BS Statistic tactic that SprintNextel would pull. Claim that users are using less data (5GB), and that only 1.2% actually use more, in an effort to justify raising prices back to the original plans....
LAME!
Anyhow how the hell is anyone using ANY MB at all in 3G mode on ANY network? The iPhone 3G DOESNT DO 3G!!! *snickers*
What AT&T does, Rogers follows - they used to be one company long ago.
mansa @ Sep 1st 2008 7:53PM
I used this amount on my first bill:
149,553.00 kb
I've not had a dropped call, I've had a near perfect device. I'm not surprised at what Elizabeth Hamilton said. I've had blackberry devices in the past, and I've usually never gone over 50 mb each month.
I switch to my wifi network when I'm at work and when I'm at home. I have to charge the device when I'm at work and when I'm at home, which is fine. It's just not fine this weekend because I needed a charge sunday night while I was out at the lake all weekend.
I wonder if anybody else used more than me?
t @ Sep 1st 2008 7:56PM
Last I checked the Rogers network was second fastest in the world according to a story right here on Engadget. No one is jacking up prices....they are simply minimizing the opportunity for that 1.2% to abuse the system and using up valuable capacity for the other 98.8% of Rogers customers
ToniCipriani @ Sep 1st 2008 8:18PM
That data isn't restricted to the iPhone. A lot of people have the plans on other devices and, as Robbers likes to call it, "gray-market" devices (unlocked phones, just a term coined by them to make it sound illegit).
A lot of people are just testing the waters for the first month, in avoidance for a multi-thousand dollar invoice for data overuse, explaining the low usage. There was a lot of confusion about the plans initially, such as CSRs threatening about being charged pay-per-use even if they have a plan because they "are not using an authorized device". Expect the usage to ramp up later.
@t - How is 1GB "abuse"? Have you see corporate users with their Blackberries? People _paid_ for the plan to get 6GB, that's what was agreed upon when people signed up for the plan. If Robbers cannot deliver the capacity, it's their fault.
You work for Ted Robbers, don't you?
Em @ Sep 1st 2008 8:32PM
It's difficult to run up that high on the Rogers network in Canada.
Rogers has shotty coverage at best, with 3G in only 25 cities across the second largest country in the world, it's hard to use the network to surf when you're constantly looking for more service. If you get inside a building, you're almost fucked unless you're right by a window. Especially if it's a mall or a big store. I know in my local wal-mart, I only have to walk about ten steps in before I get a "No Service" on my iPhone. Whereas other companies in my province manage to have full service even within these buildings.
Rogers needs to increase it's coverage around Canada and the reliability of it's network as well. If you're outside, and not around a lot of buildings, you're good. But as soon as you go more than a couple kilometers out of a major city, you're fucked.
The backlash at Rogers for it's data plans was not only for the data plans, but for the gouging they've been doing for years and how they are able to get away with it since Rogers/FIDO are the only GSM carrier within Canada. People wanted better rates, better coverage, and a better carrier.
Hopefully, once the cellular services open up in the next couple years, we'll get a new, better GSM carrier that I can switch to.
Martin @ Sep 5th 2008 3:10AM
Em - what is the largest country in the world??
Cody @ Sep 1st 2008 8:46PM
I was one of the 1.2% of iPhone users who went over 1GB, I had 3.4GB of combined usage for my first month, mainly because I did not have an internet connection. I was living out east and needed some sort of communication. I was able to use up that much data from just using Safari and a bit of usage in Tuner, maybe an hour a day or so. However my data is not even near that now that I do have internet again, plus I'm back in a 2G (not a 3G) town.
I didn't abuse it by tethering or anything, I used it from legal purposes that are supported by Apple in one way or another, plus I doubt my iBook couldn't handle tethering anyways
jesse @ Sep 2nd 2008 12:52AM
ok i use my blackberry 8310 and my bold now and i use them for theathring and alone on theathering i use 3 to 4 gigs and mobile i use 2 to 2 and half max on moblie and i use the same iphone plan as it falls under the same catagory 30/60 thats total bs my borther used his iphone hardly and racked up a total of 3 and half and all he did was use facebook app maby 15 to 20 emails in the whole month and downloaded 5 apps and the rest was pure net for movie times and thats it no gps so i belive that under 1 gig is total bull.
Taylor @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:38PM
R.I.P.
English Language
9th century A.D. - Sept. 2nd, 2008 A.D. 12:52AM
Murdered by but a child raving about data plans.
She will be sorely missed...
-Taylor
TNSF @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:02AM
Rogers' logic is completely backwards. First they launch the iphone with plans that included limited amounts of data. Then consumers buy it and are scared to use it because they know the data is limited and going over will cost them big bucks. Then usage stats are low so Rogers uses them as justification for lowering the data limits further.
Another example of how Rogers is a complete mismatch for the iPhone. Apple should never have given it to them.
At least things will change when Bell and Telus release the iPhone.
Em @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:07AM
Bell and Telus CAN'T release the iPhone until they go through a huge, country wide change in Network Type. They use CDMA and the iPhone runs on GSM.
Right now, Rogers/FIDO is the ONLY carrier in Canada that the iPhone will work on.
TNSF @ Sep 2nd 2008 10:07AM
Bell and Telus are on the verge of announcing their upgrade to HSPA. And they will do it very quickly.
I expect they will offer the iPhone within 6 months.
moe @ Sep 2nd 2008 3:43PM
they can not change their towers that fast morons. also do a comparison of data plans world wide and with tethering the 6gb plan is the best in the world outside of ireland which is the only legit unlimited data service in the world. im on fido and have zero issues with 3g and never had issues with edge either. my download speed is as advertised by the carrier. telus and bell will only go so far as edge in the first few years. also they will be piggy backing rogers to start so prices will be much higher and service just as bad as it always was. telus is going to take a huge hit when iden finally falls..
Justin @ Sep 2nd 2008 6:10PM
Didn't Apple and Rogers reach an exclusive deal allowing Rogers to be the sole carrier of the phone in Canada?